 Note:
I wrote an initial article about the Bounce Back Exercise Chair in 2005
while working as the about.com guide for the Fibromyalgia and Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome site. Getting a chair for myself has been my goal since
that time and I now finally have one! I've had mine for a week, and I
can tell a difference already; it's especially helped lessen some of my
lower back pain. ... Now for the article:
Maintaining
or improving one's physical fitness is difficult for a healthy person.
It's even more so for those with Fibromyalgia, and especially so for
those who are exercise intolerant because of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Although it doesn't promise an easy solution, the Bounce Back Fitness
Chair does provide a safer fitness alternative. Because it combines the
function of low-impact aerobics while the user is seated in a
comfortable chair, anyone with balance problems can perform the
exercise.
Ouida Stephens, RN,
has worked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients
through physician referral since 1993, and says that the Bounce Back Chair
is of benefit to those who have a limited tolerance for physical
exercise because the Bounce Back Exercise Chair makes it possible for
the patient to approach exercise carefully, and slowly increase exercise
duration times as the patient is able. Ouida says that "patients who
have done well ... have started with as low as five minutes daily and
taken as long as six months to increase their [exercise] time to thirty
minutes."
 An
article by Carol Sieverling on
ImmuneSupport.com states that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome expert Dr.
Paul Cheney, M.D., Ph.D. recommends the bounce back exercise chair for "low
level, non-vigorous bouncing for ten to fifteen minutes every other day." An
article that appeared in the July/August 1998 issue of The CFIDS
Chronicle states that Dr. Chaney "cautions against aerobic exercise --
any kind of sustained activity, such as running or walking or swimming"
because such prolonged activity can damage the mitochondria (energy
producing part of the cells), which appears to be malfunctioning in Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients; the mitochondria appears to be
vulnerable to excessive aerobic exercise. Instead he "recommends a routine
of 10 seconds of activity followed by 60 seconds of rest," such as the
rebounding or bouncing exercise possible through use of the Bounce Back
Fitness Chair.
According to information on the
Allfit
site, the chair is built for those who weigh between 70 to 250
pounds. Upgrades are available to make the chair suitable for those who
weigh between 250-350 pounds and 300-450 pounds.
The exercise performed on the chair:
- Stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluids through the body by as
much as 10 times their normal rate
- Assists the body in removing toxins, strengthening the immune
system, and building strong, healthy cells
- Improves blood circulation and oxygenation to tissue and organs
- Builds strength and muscle
- Provides a means to manage physical stress
The Allfit site
further states that the chair specifically helps those with Fibromyalgia
because stronger muscles are used to exercise weaker ones.
Ouida Stephens, RN of Sun-Ray Supply
does provide this warning about the chair: "The exercises seem so simple
and innocuous that it is very easy to over-exert. Failure to advance
slowly with this equipment can lead to a major relapse for CFIDS*
patients."
*Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is also sometimes referred to as
CFIDS, which is an acronym for Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome.
Although none of them are from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or
Fibromyalgia patients, there are some interesting testimonials about the
Bounce Back Fitness Chair on
the
Allfit site that provides quotes from forums maintained by the
Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
June 2008 update:
Until I am ready to announce the sites that I will be providing for
this purpose, further explanations about how to assemble the chair, plus
why it's also helpful for those with diabetes, arthritis, and some back
problems and information on the other benefits can be found at:
Allfit
Or you can contact Doug at Allfit directly by calling (888) 272-2225
or by e-mail.
Special thanks to Ouida Stephens, RN of
Sun-Ray Supply for in 2005
providing me with the information about the Bounce Back Fitness Chair;
her answers to my questions helped me able to write my original article. |
